I believe everyone’s life has a purpose. We are here to discover that purpose then use whatever gifts were bestowed upon us to make this world a better place. Some of us are fortunate as we know at an early age what that purpose is. Others, well, we go along, often digressing from the road that will take us there. This is me. Now on the other side of 50, I am finding my way back to that road that will lead to my life’s purpose. Welcome to my journey.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Get up. Get dressed. Paint.

This week she used the new paints by Dylusions. Making a conscious decision not to invest in
another set of paints, I stuck with the paints I have. I did experience a little confusion when I
looked at her finished page, I saw pink rather than the red she had
listed. I was in a pink sort of mood so
I went with Martha Stewart’s pink dahlia.

I noticed I am much more at ease getting the paint on the
page, worrying less about following her exactly and taking more joy in the
process.

I ran into trouble when it came to the stenciling. She uses her fingers to rub the paint over
the stencil. When I tried this method
paint went under the plastic and made blotches.
When something is not working I tend to go back to what does work; a makeup
sponge. But I found that it went on so
thin I had to put 2 coats on to get the same coverage. Obviously, practice is in order. She makes it look so simple…

When the page was done I found myself with a big blank spot
of pink in the upper left corner. I
tried stenciling in black dots and again got a splotch of paint under the
stencil. After drying it I went over
the dots with white gel pen. Better!

Since beginning this painting journey I started squirting
the paint onto a piece of deli paper instead of a paper plate which I had been
doing. When I get done with the color I
take an old card and spread the remainder of the paint out across the
paper. By the time I get done with the
page I have created my own gelli plate print!

Deli paper print

What I learned:

I need to invest in a good thick white acrylic paint. There
is no getting around this.

This is a great spread. Don't you just love the bright bold colors of Dylusions paints? You really used them well. Really nice how you meet like minded people out there on the blogosphere-I love that about blogging. Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by my blog-from one biology teacher to another!

Thank you for sharing your mixed media adventure with us, Diane, step by step! I love it, and I love the result! The colours are so vibrant, fresh and spring-like, they fairly lift the spirits!! Great stuff, and very inspiring!

Thank you so much for your lovely comment - your love and kind thoughts mean such a lot to me, and I feel carried along by everybody's kindness! I am feeling quite a lot better today! Onwards and upwards, tomorrow is a new day!

love that print at the bottom... and yes you always need great white acrylic paint... I have tried every brand going but there is more difference between good and cheap brands with white than with any other colour...

THE JOURNEY

One day you finally knewwhat you had to do, and began,though the voices around youkept shoutingtheir bad advice--though the whole housebegan to trembleand you felt the old tugat your ankles."Mend my life!"each voice cried.But you didn't stop.You knew what you had to do,though the wind priedwith its stiff fingersat the very foundations,though their melancholywas terrible.It was already lateenough, and a wild night,and the road full of fallenbranches and stones.But little by little,as you left their voices behind,the stars began to burnthrough the sheets of clouds,and there was a new voicewhich you slowlyrecognized as your own,that kept you companyas you strode deeper and deeperinto the world,determined to dothe only thing you could do--determined to savethe only life you could

The Dark Night Of The SoulBy Saint John of the CrossTranslated by A.Z. Foreman

Songs of the soul rejoicing at having achieved the high state of perfection, the Union with God, by way of spiritual negation.

Once in the dark of night,Inflamed with love and wanting, I arose(O coming of delight!)And went, as no one knows,When all my house lay long in deep repose

All in the dark went right,Down secret steps, disguised in other clothes, (O coming of delight!)In dark when no one knows, When all my house lay long in deep repose.

And in the luck of nightIn secret places where no other spied I went without my sightWithout a light to guideExcept the heart that lit me from inside.

It guided me and shoneSurer than noonday sunlight over me,And lead me to the oneWhom only I could seeDeep in a place where only we could be.

O guiding dark of night!O dark of night more darling than the dawn!O night that can uniteA lover and loved one,Lover and loved one moved in unison.

And on my flowering breastWhich I had kept for him and him alone He slept as I caressedAnd loved him for my own,Breathing an air from redolent cedars blown.And from the castle wall The wind came down to winnow through his hairBidding his fingers fall,Searing my throat with airAnd all my senses were suspended there. I stayed there to forget.There on my lover, face to face, I lay.All ended, and I letMy cares all fall awayForgotten in the lilies on that day.

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Welcome to my blog! I am married, a high school science teacher, a marine mom, and former army drill Sargent. I find myself at a point in my life where I am experiencing new adventures and a sudden surge in creativity. My brain decided "enough with all that left brained stuff, let's play with your right brain for a while". I now enjoy art journaling, mixed media art, photography, and I recently started swapping my art on Swap-Bot. Who knew one's life could change so drastically! I'm lovin' it!